Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-01-07
PECULIAR TRAITS OF ANIMALS.
Birds Love of Beauty-Cats and Mice
Dogs Northumberland Horse.

Birds Love of Beauty-Cats and Mice
Dogs Observation-Disclosures Horse.
1t is related that a defeated king once
watched q spider weave its web, and
that the persistence of the nimble little
creature gave to the king renewed
courage so that he, too, became persist
ent and conquered where he had before
signally failed. This king must have
noticed at the same time the mathemat-
ical regularity of the weaving.
While in barn recently / examined
the home of spider and was led to be-
lieve that, to a certain extent, they are
esthetic There can be found a great
love of the beautiful among the lower
forms of life. The idea is a pretty one
and is well worth the carrying out. 1t
is fact that many brutes are quite hui
man, and if the mass of people be taken
as the standard many brutes are super
human.
The birds appreciate the sweetness of
sound. This is too well known to need
mention, but perhaps it is not so gen.
orally known that birds have taste. The
little humming-bird, beautifully colored
picturesque surroundings You will
find his nest in the center of some splen-
did, leafy orchard tree, and if you will
watch him when in search of food you
will see taste shown in quite another
direction, for he invariably goes to the
flowers having the richest tints Does
he go to the geranium-bed, the brilliant
red and crimson varieties are visited
first. preference is shown for the
prettiest flowers by the bird the same as
by the lady who chooses the richest
tinted flowers to deck her dress.
Going to the four-legged brutes, we
can not pass by the melodious and mel
lifluous cat without some brief men,
ton. The cat is a clearly animal, and
for tidiness excels nearly all other ami
mails. In preference to corner in the
woodshed your cat will invariably
choose a soft, warm place in your
packed-away linen to give birth to lot
of feline promulgations 'Tis true the
cat can not compare with the mocking
bird for musical versatility; nor with the
nightingale for sweetness of tone The
cat is perhaps unfortunate in its choice
night its weird and penetrating love
passages. Doubtless those sweet, melodi-
GUS tones would be more enjoyable when
the air is fraught with the noise and
turmoil of busy city. But, alas, the
cat singeth at night.
The mind naturally turns from the
cat to the rat or the lesser members of
the rodent family, the mice. We have
all heard some time or other of musical
mice. They have been known to utter
from their hiding place tones which
much resemble the warbling of birds
When captured and examined, how
ever, it was found that these mice were
in state of disease. But there have
been well authenticated instances where
mice have been seduced from their
hiding by the playing of violin, the
soft notes of a flute or even the singing
of some particular song.
Then there are dogs-nice, pleasant,
gentleman dogs-who would savagely
detach a morsel from the seat of a
tramp's trousers were he to enter their
bailiwick; but let we'll dressed gentle
man or lady enter and they will be per-
mitted to pass by unmolested. Often
times it will be found that a savage dog
will permit the fondling of child or
woman while it will roughly snap at
man. This gallantry to ladies is GER
tainly in the line of the esthetic. 1t is
evident that some dogs recognize genti-
ity and make the great mistake made
by many humans who think that dress
makes the man.
The horse is one of the most intelii-
gent of animals, and at times its sagacity
and smartness extend beyond that of
some classes of humans. The horse, too,
is esthetic. Mr. Jones had an old sorrel
mare which was just AS proud as any
body, and she knew what was pretty
and what was not. When driven to
Mr. Jones old-style and ugly buggy old
Jenny" hung her head low and seemed
one of the most Inundated creatures
that ever champed a bit. But Sunday
when Jenny was hitched up to the new
buggy she held her head high in the air
and moved off as proudly as could he.
There is no doubt that Jenny knew full
well that the Sunday buggy was much
better looking than the everyday rig.
These few remarks barely touch this in
teresting subject. Toledo Blade.